Toronto’s Pearson International Airport says operations are back to normal after a fire broke out near a security checkpoint Sunday night forcing the cancellation of all U.S. flights departing from Terminal 1.
A Greater Toronto Airports Authority spokesperson told Global News both Terminal 1 and 3 were operating normally, though U.S. departures at Terminal 1 where the fire started were expected to see continued delays.
Travellers were advised to check their flight status today before heading to the airport, which is Canada’s busiest.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident, but several people were treated for what police described as “smoke-related injuries.”
Paramedics said one woman was taken to hospital in stable condition.
Const. Akhil Mooken of Peel Regional Police said the cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
Officers were called to the scene at around 6:30 p.m. Just before 7:30 p.m., police said on Twitter that the blaze had been extinguished, though there were significant amounts of water and smoke in the building.
Crews are working to repair the damage, police said.
Dozens of inbound flights were held on the tarmac for hours for safety reasons.
Passenger Heather Bailey, who was arriving from Barbados, tweeted that there were 22 planes ahead of hers.
Another passenger, Duncan Smit, told The Canadian Press that his flight back home to Amsterdam had been delayed several hours.
“There was a lot of smoke in part of the terminal,” he said from his gate at Pearson, where he had been waiting since the morning.
Processing for inbound arrivals and international outbound passengers at Terminal 1 resumed around 10:20 p.m.
“We thank passengers for their patience as we put safety first,” the airport said in a tweet.
In addition to the flight cancellations on Sunday, passengers scheduled to fly to the U.S. out of Terminal 1 on Monday are being asked to check with their airlines before leaving home.
There is no word yet on what started the fire.
With files from Eric Stober, Global News and the Canadian Press
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